World Premiere and Critics’ Favorite Mr. Parent
Streaming by Boston's Lyric Stage
By: Lyric - Feb 02, 2022
After a critically acclaimed run, the Lyric Stage Company of Boston announces that streaming of the World Premiere production of Mr. Parent by Melinda Lopez with Maurice Emmanuel Parent* and co-conceived and directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian° will begin on February 7 and be available through February 20 at https://www.lyricstage.com/mr-parent-streaming-information/
A struggling actor turns to teaching for a steady paycheck, thinking "how hard could it be?" But as he careens from the Boston Public Schools by day to serious thespian at night, Mr. Parent starts to wonder where he really belongs. Based on the stories and real-life adventures of Lyric Stage favorite Maurice Emmanuel Parent*Mr. Parent is a deeply felt and hilarious solo performance about crushingly inequitable systems, the brilliance of every kid, and how we might all find the space to be ourselves.
Director Megan Sandberg-Zakian says, “Maurice, Melinda, and I are so thrilled to be able to bring the humor and joy of this production, as well as its very personal view of the devastating inequities in our public schools, to a wider audience through this stream. We hope that it will spark many conversations, inspiring viewers to check out the resources on the Lyric website and continue to stay engaged with this critical civic issue.”
Tickets start at $25 at https://www.lyricstage.com/mr-parent-streaming-information/
“It adds up to a moving, sometimes funny account of what it takes to be a teacher, what it takes to fulfill your ambitions in the theater, and what it takes to build a life. A strength of “Mr. Parent” is that it doesn’t try to downplay the tradeoffs involved in that juggling act or tidily resolve its inherent tensions.”-Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
“Sure, the memories of the kids and his journey are funny, painful, and enlightening. But Parent’s acute awareness of the indelible mark those students have left on his heart and spirit and what he does with all that he’s learned about himself and the world is even more notable and enduring.”-Jacquinn Sinclair, WBUR
Scenic Design is by Cristina Todesco**, Costume Design by Yao Chen, Lighting Design by Karen Perlow**, and Sound Design by Arshan Gailus**. Videography by Ernesto Galan/Scalped Productions.
Maurice Emmanuel Parent- Lyric Stage: Into The Woods (Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince), On The Town (Figment/ensemble), Man of La Mancha (Dr. Carrasco/The Duke); Director – Breath and Imagination (starring Davron Monroe and Yewande Odetoyinbo). Other credits (select): Actors’ Shakespeare Project (resident company member), Barrington Stage, Boston Theatre Works, Cape Playhouse, Central Square Theater, Commonwealth Shakespeare Co, Fulton Opera House, Greater Boston Stage, Huntington Theatre, Music Theatre of Wichita, New Repertory Theatre, Northern Stage, Off the Grid Theatre Co., SpeakEasy Stage, Wheelock Family Theatre. Television: Castle Rock, Kevin Can F*** Himself. Commercials: Wayfair, Bank of America, WB Mason, Flooring America, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Winner of 2 Elliot Norton Awards, 3 Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards, and one ArtsImpulse Award. After 6 years in the Boston Public School system, Maurice began teaching in higher education. Currently he is a Professor of the Practice in the Tufts University Department of Theatre Dance and Performance Studies where he will be directing a production of Spring Awakening this Spring. He is a Co-founder/Co-Producing Artistic Director of The Front Porch Arts Collective, a Black theater company committed to advancing racial equity through art. www.mauriceparent.com / www.frontporcharts.org